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The top United Nations human rights official today welcomed the conviction of José Efraín Ríos Montt, Guatemala’s former de facto head of State, to 80 years in prison for genocide and crimes against humanity.

Top United Nations officials are today urging the UN General Assembly to fully implement key anti-human trafficking treaties and to cooperate more closely to counter the multi-billion dollar industry which has trapped some 21 million men, women and children in forced labour.

While insects can be slimy, cringe-inducing creatures, often squashed on sight by humans, a new book released today by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) says beetles, wasps and caterpillars are also an unexplored nutrition source that can help address global food insecurity.

From the Horn of Africa in the east and across the Sahel to the west, terrorism continues to pose a threat to the continent’s peace, security and development, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today as he warned that Africa was facing a rise in the presence of extremist groups and terrorist entities.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) strongly condemned the bombing that took place today near a hospital in the city of Benghazi and resulted in a number of deaths, including children, as well as injuries.

A group of independent United Nations experts today reiterated its call on Iranian authorities for the immediate release of seven Baha’i community leaders imprisoned five years ago this month with 20-year sentences – the longest of any current prisoners of conscience.

A senior United Nations official today stressed the urgent need for more meaningful and constructive political dialogue in Bangladesh to create conducive conditions for the holding of peaceful and credible parliamentary elections that are scheduled for later this year.

Less than 1 per cent of all patent applications relating to clean energy technology (CET) have been filed in Africa, according to a new United Nations study, which also highlights the opportunity for the continent to leapfrog existing fossil-fuel energy sources and, in the process, cut greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health.

Representatives from 170 countries have adopted a series of measures to strengthen protections against hazardous chemicals and waste during a United Nations conference in Geneva.

In an increasingly interdependent world with diverse cultures exposed to each other more than ever before, the United Nations-backed initiative seeking to enhance cross-cultural relations must be improved to reflect the international community’s changing dynamics, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared today.